Three-dimensional (3D) imaging technology has been widely used to analyse facial morphology and has revealed an influence of some medical conditions on craniofacial growth and morphology. The aim of the study is to investigate whether craniofacial morphology is different in atopic Caucasian children compared with controls. Study design included observational longitudinal cohort study. Atopy was...

BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis has increased four-fold over the recent decades in developed countries, indicating that changes in environmental factors associated with lifestyle may play an important role in this epidemic. It has been proposed that alcohol consumption may be one contributing risk factor in this development. OBJECTIVE To analyze the impact of alcohol intake during pregnancy on t...

The T allele of rs7927894 (at 11q13.5) was associated with atopic dermatitis and other allergic diseases. Our purpose was to replicate the association with allergic phenotypes and explore the role of rs7927894 in predisposing to persistent allergic rhinitis and atopic asthma. We also wanted to explore if other SNPs at 11q13.5 contributed to effect of rs7927894. We studied patients with atopic d...

Controversial findings have been reported regarding to the effect of the transporter associated with antigen processing 1 (TAP1) polymorphisms exerted on the atopic diseases susceptibility. To gain a better understanding of the effects of TAP1 polymorphisms on the risk of atopic diseases, a retrospective study was carried out to evaluate the association of the most common TAP1 polymorphisms, rs...

OBJECTIVE To identify the relationship of neutrophil activity to allergy as reflected by the level of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in ears of atopic patients with chronic otitis media with effusion (OME) by objective testing. DESIGN Evidence of neutrophils was measured in the effusion of atopic patients with chronic OME. Atopy was determined by intradermal and/or in vitro testing of allergic reactio...

Host-microbe interactions may play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis, a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder characterized by universal colonization with Staphylococcus species. To examine the relationship between epidermal barrier function and the cutaneous microbiota in atopic dermatitis, this study used a spontaneous model of canine atopic dermatitis. In a c...

BACKGROUND Atopic dermatitis develops as a result of complex interactions between several genetic and environmental factors. To date, 4 genome-wide linkage studies of atopic dermatitis have been performed in Caucasian populations, however, similar studies have not been done in Asian populations. The aim of this study was to identify chromosome regions linked to atopic dermatitis in a Japanese p...

INTRODUCTION Atopic dermatitis is a chronic, pruritic, eczematous skin disease mediated through an immediate (type I) hypersensitivity reaction. Posterior sub-capsular cataracts are a recognised complication of atopic dermatitis in adults; however they are rare in children. The management of atopic dermatitis is based on the exclusion of allergens, the use of emollients, and on topical corticos...

Several studies have suggested that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bronchiolitis induced the change of cytokine production profile in childhood. We sought to determine whether the RSV-induced cytokine production was affected by the patient's atopic background. We quantified interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin (IL)-4 in the supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cu...

Introduction. Asthma is the commonest chronic condition of children. Diagnosis of this condition remains difficult. Many surrogate markers are used, such as documenting evidence of atopy. Method. A random sample of asthmatic children and their mothers attending the Children's Chest and Allergy Clinic at Steve Biko Academic Hospital were enrolled. Children were classified as having atopic or non...